Car-door.



,647. PATENTED FEB. 12, 1907.

J. J. VORHES & H. GRISMAN.

GAR DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 7, 190

2 SHEETS-SHEEN.

ms NORRIS PETERS co., wasnmomu, n. c.

No. 4 PATEN'TBD FEB.12, 190v.

J. J. VORHBS & H. ORISMAN.

GAR DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Vii/2855a.-

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THE NORRIS PTsis cm, WASHINGTON. n a.

JOSEPH J. VORHES AND HIRAM CRISMAN, OF SENECA, KANSAS.

CAR-DOOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 12, 1907.

Application filed March 7, 1906. Serial No. 304,693.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JOSEP J. VORHES and HIRAM ORISMAN, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Seneca, in the county of Nemaha and State ofKansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Doors,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in doors for railwayfreight-cars, and especially to that class of doors known as graindoors,inasmuch as they are especially adapted for use in connection with grainloaded in bulk.

The especial objects of the improvements which form the subject-matterof this application are the production of grain-tight doors of simple,durable, and economical construction, which are easily operated inclosing or opening, in which the weight is sustained by iron rods in amanner that facilitates the movements of the doors, in whichquicklyoperated locking means are provided, in which the doors can bereadily swung out of position when not in use, in which the doors cannotbecome detached and lost, and in which various advantages are conservednot necessary to mention, because apparent to those skilled in the art.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this application,Figure 1 shows in side elevation a portion of a graincar equipped withour doors, the latter being shown in closed and locked position. Fig. 2is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 1 as they appear from within thecar. Fig. 3 shows the doors in an opening position. Fig. 4 shows themanner of removing and suspendingthe doors. Fig. 5 is a fragmentarydetail showing a door folded up against the carroof.

Referring to the details of the drawing, A represents one of the sidewalls of a box-car of ordinary construction, in which there is the usualopening or doorway a.

B B represent, respectively, the doors or door-section's, which togetherform a closure for the opening a and for the purposes of thisdescription will be respectively designated as the outer door and theinner door. As shown, these doors are built of two courses of boardslaid at right angles to each other, secured together in any preferred.

manner and reinforced along their bottom edges with iron wear-plates;but it will be understood they may be constructed entirely of metal, ifdesired. When in closed position, these doors are arranged so that theforward edge of the outer door overlaps the inner door a foot or more,thus forming at the center of the doorway an overlap-joint, whichcontributes to the tightness of the closure. The forward edge of theinner door is detachably interlocked With the outer door by thehook-bars b, which are rigidly bolted to the door B and engage theU-shaped members b which are correspondingly secured to the inner faceof the door B, as shown in Fig. 1. The forward edge of the outer door isdetachably interlocked with the outer face of the inner door by alocking-bar 6 which is partially rotatable in sockets b fixed in thedoor B and projecting outwardly therefrom to form bearings for theoutwardly-bent portions b of the locking-bar. The lower end of thelocking-bar is bent horizontally to form a handle I), by which the barmay be readily turned in its bearings. Means may be provided whereby thehandle may be locked; but as such means form no part of this inventionthey are not shown. The locking-bar is engaged by the horizontal hookmembers 6 which are rigidly secured to the door B and have their hookportions extending beyond the edge of the door and passing below thelockingbar. U-shaped members If, rigidly secured to the door B, alsoengage the locking-bar by having their projecting portions bentdownwardly, so as to overlie the bar. The latter is therefore embracedon both sides by b and 6 thus forming double interlocking means, theefficienoy of which will be apparent.

At the center of each of the doors and on opposite sides thereof squaresheet-iron plates 6 are securely bolted. Vhere the doors are of metal,these plates may be dispensed with, as their function is to furnishsuitable reinforced bearings and attaching means for the hanging-rodsand their connections to be described. Rotatably mounted in the plates band projecting from the inner faces of the doors are eyebolts b 12 whichare engaged by eyes formed on the lower ends of the hanging rods 1), theupper ends of which are furnished with eyes which engage the eyebolts afixed in the upper frame-timbers of the ear, each bar and itsconnections thus providing a swinging support for a door which freelypermi ts the various movements and adjustments incident to the operationof the latter. On the squared portion of each eyebolt b is mounted aratchet-plate 6 which is formed with a handle I) and is adapted to beengaged and held by a pawl b, pivoted on the plate 6 This ratchet-platehas a twofold function in that by turning the eyebolt b on its axis itadjusts the latter to thelength of the bar I), thus maintaining thelatter at a position of greatest efliciency relative to the door, andwhen in the opening of the doors the doors are raised, as shown in Fig.8, they will be held in such position by turning the eyebolts from theposition shown in Fig. 2 toward the outer edge of the doors, all ofwhich will be readily apparent.

At the upper and inner corners of the doors we bolt square sheet-ironplates b, in which are rotatably mounted eyebolts b, the eyes of whichare loosely engaged by eyes on the lower ends of the bars 0 the upperends of which are loosely engaged by eyes in brackets. (1 which are sosecured to the overhead framing-timbers of the car as to stand outwardlyfrom the timbers a sul'licient distance to permit the doors toswingfreely under the bars, as shown in Fig. 4. To facilitate themovements of the members 6 b, we preferably bevel or chamfer off thecorners of the doors, as at b.

When the doors are not in use, they are hung at the inner side of thecar by hooking the members 1) of door B into the members a secured tothe overhead car-framing and the members I) of door B over the hooks a,

or they may be swung up to the car-ceiling and held by the hangers (L asshown in Fig. 5.

To set up the doors in operative position, they are unhooked from theirrespective keepers a, a, and a and are allowed to swing down, the rods bsustaining their weight into the position shown at the right hand ofFig. 4. The operator brings each door to an upright position (shown inFig. 3 with their edges overlapped) and hooks together the members b" b.He then pushes inwardly the projecting edges of the doors until they areparallel, when he turns thelocking-barin its bearings, thus bringing theportions be tween the bends b under the members 6 and over the membersI), as shown in Fig. 1. To open the doors, when used as grain-doors theoperator reverses the movement of the locking-bar, whereupon the outwardpressure of the grain in the oar-will push the doors to the positionshown in Fig. 3, thus forming a triangular opening at the bottom of thedoors, through which a portion of the grain passes into a suitablereceptacle arranged therefor. When the pressure is relieved, the

operator unhooks the members I) I9 and swings the doors into thepositions shown inv Fig. 4.

It, will be noted that when the doors are closed the bars I), beingsubstantially in vertical alinement with the eyebolts, resist anyvertical movements of the doors incident to the j olting of the cars andthat lateral movements are resisted by the bars I), thus effectingpractically grain-tigl1t joints when considered in connection with thepressure of the grain within the car. It is manifest that the samedoors, if made to fill the doorway a, would form an el'lective closurefor any kind of freight-car and with a suitable lock on the bar 6 wouldform a greater protection against car-burglary than most of thehorizontally-sliding doors in common use.

Various modifications may be made in the details of the invention hereindescribed, without departure from its principles. Hence we do not wishto be limited in our patent to details; but

WVe claim- 1. Means for closing an opening in a car or other supportingstructure, consisting of two complementary door-sections, means fordetachably interlocking the sections, hanging bars loosely connectedwith the middle portion and one corner of each section and looselyconnected with the structures.

2. Means for closing an opening in a car or other supporting structure,consisting of two complementary door-sections adapted to overlap eachother, means for detachably interlocking the edge of one section withthe adjacent face of the complementary section, hanging bars looselyconnected with the structure, and means for pivotally connecting saidbars with the middle portion and means for connecting said bars with onecorner of each section.

3. Means forclosing an opening in a car or other supporting structureconsisting of two complementary door-sections adapted to overlap eachother, means for detachably interlocking the overlapped portions of saidsections, hanging bars loosely connected with the supporting structure,adjustable connections between said bars and the central portions ofsaid door-sections, and pivotal connections between one corner of eachdoorsection and the supporting structure.

4. Means for closing an opening in a car or other supporting structure,comprising two complementary door-sections, means for interlocking saiddoors when in closed position, bars for hanging said doors fromthestructr re, devices adjr stably connecting said bars with saiddoor-sections and means for locking said devices in their adjustedpositions.

5. Means for closing an opening in a car, consisting of twoindependently-supported complementary door-sections, a locldng-bar ingthe other ends of said bars with the car 10 rotatably mounted on one ofsaid sections overhead framing.

and means for engaging said bar, said means In testimony whereof WeaffiX our signasecured to the other section and adapted to tures inpresence of two Witnesses. embrace said bar from opposite sides. JOSEPHJ. VORHES.

6. Means for suspending a car-door con- HIRAJH CRISMAN. sisting ofeyebolts pivotally mounted on said Witnesses: door, rods or bars looselyconnected with M. E. VORHES,

said eyebolts and means for loosely connect- C. J. SMALLEY.

